Tulare Local Healthcare District board members voted to settle lawsuits with Healthcare Conglomerate Associates, the former administrator of Tulare Regional Medical Center.

Board members are hoping the settlements will speed up the opening of the shuttered hospital.

In a closed session board meeting last week, members voted three-to-two in favor of moving forward with two settlements involving the hospital district. One of the lawsuits was filed by HCCA in Southern California and the other was a counterclaim filed by the hospital district, Board President Kevin Northcraft said.

Board members Steve Harrell, Mike Jamaica and Xavier Avila voted for the settlement. Senovia Guitierrez and Northcraft opposed the settlement.

"All of the board wanted to say that we heard the community tonight, and for the past several months, very loud and clear that we need to fulfill the primary mission to get our hospital open as quickly as possible and that is first and foremost in the action that was taken tonight," Northcraft said. "It's not without risk, but we do feel we are on a path to reopening our hospital and to have a successful community hospital back in our community for years to come and to be the gem of the Valley as it once was."

Last year, HCCA filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeking $12.5 million from the hospital district. According to the lawsuit, the hospital district breached an administrative contract when it failed to pay back a $7 million loan from HCCA used to front employee salaries.

TRMC then filed a countersuit.

Community member Joseph Soares addressed the board before members went into closed session.

"In a good settlement agreement, there's no winner, there's no loser because everybody doesn't get what they want," Soares said. "It's a very difficult process, but it's a very good thing if it reaches a good settlement."

Soares said he could not speak about the topics of the agreement, but encouraged the board to make the decision to help open the hospital's doors as soon as possible.

"You should vote on one issue only. That issue is whether that settlement agreement gets you the hospital opened early. The sooner the better — I think that's the key," he said.

Also on the agenda, the consideration to sell and leaseback the building and land that houses Evolutions, the hospital district-owned health club.

The option has not been discussed during a board meeting, said one resident, which prompted her to address board members on Wednesday.

"There is now an item placed on a closed session agenda where an action will probably be taken and the citizens don’t know what it’s about, what is going on, or how it might affect them and this community. This gives me deja vu feelings like, here we go again," the community member said. "Please, don't break the trust that you as a board have started to rebuild with this community."

During Wednesday's closed session, board members voted to defer action relating to the sale and leaseback of Evolutions.